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Sixers Troll Giannis, Bucks After Thursday Night Win

The Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks met for the first time this season back in early November. At the time, the Sixers were on a five-game losing
Justin Grasso|
Sixers Troll Giannis, Bucks After Thursday Night Win
Sixers Troll Giannis, Bucks After Thursday Night Win

The Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks met for the first time this season back in early November. At the time, the Sixers were on a five-game losing streak against the Bucks.

Last year, the Sixers hosted the Bucks once in March and forced overtime while shorthanded. Without Joel Embiid, the Sixers couldn't defeat Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in the extra minutes. 

A month later, the Bucks hosted the Sixers for two-straight games. Once again, the Sixers were shorthanded and were dominated in both games.

The early November matchup between the Bucks and the Sixers was no different. Without Joel Embiid on the floor, the Sixers relied on their second-year guard Tyrese Maxey to get the job done. Unfortunately, Philadelphia fell short and took on a 118-109 loss, marking the sixth-straight game the Bucks defeated the Sixers.

Before that first matchup, the Bucks' social media team tweeted out a picture of Giannis warming up, deeming him the "King of Philly."

On Thursday night, the Sixers got their payback.

Joel Embiid Turns the Table

With Embiid in the lineup on Thursday night, the Sixers were in a much better position to compete with Giannis and the Bucks. While the Sixers were missing a key piece in James Harden, Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, and Georges Niang helped lead the way in Harden's absence.

In nearly 40 minutes of action, Embiid dropped 42 points. He knocked down all but one of his four three-point attempts. The big man finished the night with a double-double as he collected 14 rebounds in addition to his scoring.

Embiid helped the Sixers pick up an impressive 123-120 victory in Milwaukee before heading into the break. And following the game, the Sixers' social media team got payback by responding to the "King of Philly" tweet from back in November.

With that victory, the Sixers snap a six-game losing streak. It was Philadelphia's first win over the Bucks since Christmas in 2019. The next time these two teams will meet is on March 29, when the Bucks pay a visit to the Sixers once more.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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